- Pacific
Speed cameras have triggered at least 28,000 crashes since 2001, according to new research.
The devices also cause motorists to drive erratically, to not concentrate on the road and to brake suddenly when one comes into sight, a study has revealed.
More than 80 per cent of drivers said they look at their speedometers rather than the cars in front when they approach a speed camera, a poll by insurance company LV revealed.
A third of more than 1,500 motorists quizzed said they had witnessed an accident or a near-miss as a result of drivers' erratic behaviour caused by the machines.
And five per cent admitted they brake suddenly to avoid getting a fine, risking rear-end shunts.
Research by ICM revealed that speed cameras are a contributory factor in one per cent of all road traffic accidents.
DFT figures since 2001 estimates the number of crashes at 2.7 million – meaning the cameras have been involved in 27,900 accidents since 2001.
John O'Roarke, spokesman for LV, said: 'Speed cameras have been a feature on UK roads for almost 20 years, yet the feedback from drivers is that while they may reduce speed they also appear to impair driving ability or at the least concentration on the road.
'As this report shows some drivers behave erratically and at worst dangerously around speed cameras.
'When driving it's important to maintain a constant speed within the legal limits on the road.
'Excessive speed contributes to 12 per cent of all injury collisions, and we'd encourage drivers to stick to all speed limits and not wait for a camera to reduce their speed suddenly.'
More than 90 per cent of drivers admit to speeding – with 15 per cent breaking the limit on a regular basis, especially on the motorway.
And, although safety campaigners speed cameras save lives, nearly half of those questioned said they believed they are a money-making device for the Government.
Drivers have forked out an estimated £150million a year in fines from the more than 6,000 speed cameras on our roads.
The figures come as 72 speed cameras were switched off in Oxfordshire this week.
Other local authorities are expected to follow suit after the coalition Government announced plans to cut road safety budgets by 40 per cent as part of its policy to slash public spending. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1300830/Speed-cameras-caused-28-000-accidents-decade.html
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